Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Right Arm Bone

It was a five-story building, and its expensive furnishings made the hotel's exceptional status clear at every turn. A crystal-carved Angel Statue stood atop the tall roof, while the plaque above the entrance read "Martial Soul City Central Hotel"—a testament to its standing in the hotel industry.

There was no cheesy shortage-of-rooms scenario; the hotel still had plenty of vacancies.

They had arrived early, after all. If they'd come on the last night before registration closed, even the exorbitant room rates wouldn't have stopped the place from filling up.

Mu Qian waved a hand and booked a Supreme Suite.

Much like a presidential suite from his previous life, it had more than one bedroom. It was practically a fully equipped luxury villa.

On Douluo Continent, even the most luxurious hotels weren't all that expensive. After all, they didn't offer resources that benefited cultivation.

"Zhuqing, we've been traveling for so long. Let's go upstairs and rest first. I'll take you out to look around this evening." Mu Qian hesitated, but in the end, he couldn't bring himself to make the girl wander around with him while she was exhausted.

Of course, the main reason was that he had something else to tell Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing looked around the hotel curiously. "Whatever you say."

Even though she was the Fourth Young Lady of the Zhu Family, she'd grown up with few resources and had never stayed in such a high-end hotel.

To her, this was just a hotel, yet its grandeur rivaled that of many iconic buildings in Star Luo City.

Of course, it couldn't compare to the imperial palace.

Mu Qian nodded and followed the attendant to the top floor.

The attendant was a man in his twenties. He hadn't said a word the entire way, but he gave Mu Qian a strange look.

He seemed to envy Mu Qian for having such a pretty girl with him—and for being able to afford a top-tier Supreme Suite.

Mu Qian didn't notice. At that moment, he felt a faint sense of unease.

For some reason, ever since he'd stepped onto the top floor, he'd felt as if a pair of eyes were watching him from somewhere unseen.

Mu Qian quietly released his Spiritual Power and scanned every room on the top floor, but found nothing unusual.

"Maybe I'm just imagining things." Mu Qian shook his head and dismissed the thought.

Unbeknownst to him, two top-tier beings in Spirit City had already noticed his movements.

At the center of Spirit City stood the Pope Palace, a symbol of Spirit Hall's political power.

The noble, elegant figure seated on the throne trembled ever so slightly and gazed into the distance. It was as if she could see across time and space, and an inscrutable expression crossed her face.

"Could it be him...?" the noble figure murmured, her red lips parting slightly.

No one could fathom her thoughts. Of course, no one would have dared to speculate, either.

At the same time, in another equally grand and imposing hall, an old man in ornate robes suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze was weathered, yet held a hint of surprise and delight.

"He actually came to Spirit City... It seems everything was destined..."

"The one foretold by fate has appeared. I wonder how Xiao Xue is doing now..."

Inside the hotel room.

Mu Qian's vast Spiritual Power surged outward, completely sealing off the entire room.

"Zhuqing, we have to register tomorrow, and I don't know if we'll have time afterward. Take this. Since we're free today, you can absorb it here at the hotel."

As he spoke, the Starry Sky Ring on Mu Qian's hand flashed, drawing a puzzled look from Zhu Zhuqing.

Amid a dense surge of Soul Power, a strange object, icy blue all over, appeared in midair before them.

"Is that... a Spirit Bone?!"

Zhu Zhuqing no longer knew how to describe what she was feeling.

That was a Spirit Bone!

If word got out, countless Spirit Masters would risk their lives to fight over it.

Yet Mu Qian had taken it out as if it were nothing, even intending to give it to her.

His tone made it sound like an everyday matter, as if he were offering her an ordinary bun instead of a Spirit Bone.

"N-no, I can't. It's too precious. I can't accept it. You should keep it for yourself."

Though shocked by Mu Qian's generosity, Zhu Zhuqing firmly refused.

She wanted a Spirit Bone too, but she wanted Mu Qian to become stronger even more.

More than improving her own strength, Zhu Zhuqing cared about their relationship.

After a year together, she'd grown used to having Mu Qian by her side.

The more outstanding Mu Qian became, the more he revealed his brilliance, the more inferior she felt.

How could she not want to grow stronger and become someone worthy of him?

But Zhu Zhuqing wasn't someone who took without limit. Though she'd grown accustomed to Mu Qian's care, she knew what mattered most.

She already owed Mu Qian far too much.

After a year together, Mu Qian had long since come to understand Zhu Zhuqing's personality.

He knew this proud girl didn't want to keep asking him for things without limit.

But wasn't that exactly what he liked about her?

"Zhuqing, don't rush to refuse," Mu Qian urged.

"There's no need to talk about trust between us. I'll tell you the truth: my First Soul Ring came from a Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Dragon that sacrificed itself, and I got this Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Right Arm Bone at the same time."

Zhu Zhuqing didn't interrupt. She simply listened to Mu Qian, dazed.

"I've studied this Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Right Arm Bone. Once fused, it grants the Spirit Master the Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Dragon's innate skill: Ice Seal."

"And Ice Seal doesn't freeze the enemy. It freezes the user..."

Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Dragons were extremely rare, and the chances of one producing a Spirit Bone were even smaller. Mu Qian had obtained this one thanks to the dragon's sacrifice.

The Spirit Bones of Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Dragons had one special feature: their Soul Skills were fixed.

No matter where the Spirit Bone came from, it would only carry one Soul Skill: Ice Seal.

"Ice Seal isn't a control- or attack-type Soul Skill. It's a defensive one."

"When the Soul Skill is activated, a layer of dazzling ice crystals covers the user's body, like an ornate crystal garment. At the same time, it can completely block a single attack of any attribute except fire!"

"Remember, it blocks it completely!"

By this point, Zhu Zhuqing was even more determined to refuse.

There was no way she could accept a Spirit Bone that granted such a terrifying Soul Skill with a clear conscience.

"Though this Soul Skill can only be used once a day, its ability to block an attack completely means it can even withstand an attack from a Titled Douluo!"

"You could say that if it weren't for its inability to grant immunity to fire, it would be a sort of alternative Invincible Golden Body!"

Mu Qian went on at length. In truth, if the Spirit Bone weren't so low in age, even he would have been tempted to absorb it.

His Soul Tool contained countless ice-attribute Spirit Bones, but even with its relatively low age, this Green-Scaled Ice-Armored Right Arm Bone ranked among the best of them.

"A Spirit Bone of such high quality—you should absorb it yourself. I... I'll be fine as long as you protect me," Zhu Zhuqing said softly.

No matter how highly Mu Qian praised the Spirit Bone, she didn't waver in the slightest.